Without
by EGB Fan
Summary: There seems no explanation for some strange coincidences involving sickness and irritating demons, but of course, why should there be...? An egocentric yarn with a lot of focus on author's original characters, and a lot of glimpses into their future.
1. Chapter 1

_Ghostbusters: _**Without**

Chapter 1

**Summer 2007**

"Oh, have you?" Peter Venkman crooned sympathetically into his cell phone. "Aww, you poor thing. Do you want me to bring you anything when I come home? …Ok then, sweetheart… I love you too. Buh-bye."

Peter hung up, stuffed the phone inside his jumpsuit and demanded, "Are we there yet?"

"Almost," said Roland Jackson, who was driving.

"So how's she doing?" asked Kylie Griffin, from the front seat.

Egon Spengler, in the back with Peter, added, "I don't like it, Peter - it sounds like she's been unable to keep anything inside her for an uncommonly long time."

"It's just a stomach bug," said Peter. His daughter Jessica had just spent her third night in a row constantly rushing to the bathroom, and seemed to show no sign of improvement.

"And is she feeling better now?" asked Egon.

"Well… no."

"Poor kid," Roland sympathised.

"Listen," said Peter, "we're going to have to stop off at a store on the way back because she wants some magazines."

"You can't read when you're feeling that ill," said Kylie.

"No," Peter conceded. "I'll probably have to read them to her."

"Peter," said Egon. "I still think I should look her over. It just seems odd that she should be _this_ unwell when there happens to be all this unexplained paranormal activity going on. And you and Dana haven't caught it from her, have you? Why do you think that is?"

"What, you think it's a ghost flu that's _only_ interested in Jess?" Peter asked dubiously. "I doubt that, Egon - what possible reason could there be?"

"Her boyfriend's half incubus," volunteered Kylie. "Maybe they got a little overexcited."

"Oh, yeah, him," Peter said dully. "Well, actually her relationship with Cameron seemed to be fizzling out a bit before she got sick - hopefully it won't last for much longer. Oh."

Peter's cell phone had started up again, so he whipped it out of his pocket. "Oh, it's Oscar!" he beamed, and answered the phone with an enthusiastic, "Hi, Ozzie!"

"Hi, Dad," came the perpetually exhausted voice of his stepson, somewhat distorted by an imperfect signal (Oscar wasn't even in the country). "How are you?"

"Me?" said Peter. "_I'm _ok."

"I just called home to check up on Jess - Mom says she's no better. What?" and then Peter heard an indistinct young voice somewhere in the background. "No, no, it's just a stomach bug - she'll be fine, don't worry about it. Sorry about that, Dad."

"Who was that?"

"Hayden."

"Oh, you're with _them_, are you?" Peter asked dully. He made no secret of feeling jealous towards Oscar's biological father, Andre Wallance, in whose dubious hands their mutual son now appeared to have placed himself. "So how are they, then?"

"All perfectly healthy and happy, and glad I'm here."

"Including Andre?"

"Yes."

"Pity."

The car stopped, and Peter's three companions all filed out of it. He stayed where he was on the backseat.

"Dad, don't," said Oscar. "I'm having a pretty good time with them, actually, when I can get a minute to myself. Last night I had dinner with them and Hayden's new girlfriend."

Peter blinked. "Hayden's got a girlfriend?"

"Don't sound so surprised. He's a good kid, and he _is _thirteen now - it seems to me that most kids these days have gotten to third base by the time they're his age. Anyway, it was hilarious - she's from this really rough part of London. She calls him 'Ayden."

"Oh, I'll bet the Stiff _loves_ that," Peter said, with some satisfaction.

"He hid his revulsion well," said Oscar. "I just wondered how they ever came to cross paths in the first place - so I asked them how they met and they told me this really romantic story about her getting lost on her way home from Oxford Street, and him helping her find her way back to Stepney. God knows how she ended up in Chelsea."

"Oh, yeah, that's pretty messed up," said Peter, who wasn't very familiar with London. "So how about you? Any girlfriend yet?"

"Dad, I don't have time for girlfriends."

"Don't be ridiculous, Oscar - you're an increasingly well known rock musician."

"No one serious," Oscar said blankly. "Look, Dad, I'd better go - I've got a million and one things to do before the concert tonight."

"Have you?" asked Peter. "You sound really tired - you should get some sleep."

"Bye, Dad."

Then silence. Peter hung up, and noticed that he and the Ecto-1 were parked outside some kind of warehouse. He climbed out of the car and ventured into the building, where the first thing he saw was a little red goblin-like creature disappearing into a ghost trap.

"Hey, guess what," he said, when the trap was closed and they were in semi-darkness.

Egon, Roland and Kylie all looked at him. "What?"

"Hayden's got a girlfriend."

"Hayden…?" Roland said blankly.

"Wallance. The Stiff's kid."

"Oh, him," said Roland.

"So what?" asked Kylie.

"Oh, I don't know. He just never struck me as the kind of guy who could just pick up a girl - especially at the tender age of thirteen."

"Honestly, Peter, there are more urgent matters to attend to," Egon said irritably, as they began taking their equipment and the loaded ghost trap back out to the car.

"Well," said Kylie, "I don't think you need to be so surprised. I only met this kid once at the New Year's Eve party, but he seemed like a really nice guy. He knows how to have fun, in an obvious kind of way, and I might even have thought he was cute when I was about eleven."

"Hmm… I guess you're right," said Peter. "I've never been able to stop thinking of him as anything other than a miniature version of his father, but he's really come out of himself over the last couple of years. He's more or less normal, really."

"Peter," said Egon. "Can you and I go and take a look at Jessica?"

Peter shrugged. "Sure, why not? If she's the same colour as she was this morning I could probably start charging people to come and look at her."

"Oh you're horrible," Kylie chided him.

"She can't hear me. Hey, Egon maybe _that__'s_ it - Jess has, like, a psychic intuition or something about Hayden's girlfriend, and on some kind of subconscious level she's so appalled by the thought that any human female could possibly want to touch him that she can't keep anything down."

"Peter, you're being very childish," Egon said sternly. "Aren't you worried about her?"

"Of course I am," said Peter, sounding very hurt that anyone should have asked him this. "Life's not fair, is it? Oscar's working himself into an early grave, Jessica's sicker than she's ever been in her life and the Stiff's son is getting laid."

"_Why_ is Hayden Wallance's love life such a big deal?" demanded Kylie. "He's a nice kid who's found himself a girlfriend, that's all."

"Apparently he helped her to get home when she was lost," said Peter. "That's really romantic, isn't it? I wonder who made the first move."

"Why does it matter?" asked Kylie, as Roland and Egon both pointedly climbed into the car. Kylie and Peter made no move to follow.

"It doesn't, really," said the latter. "I expect it was her. Hayden seems quite timid - I can't see him putting the moves on a girl. Sort of like Egon."

"Egon?" Kylie frowned. "He's married."

"Yes, finally, and he's almost fifty. Why do you think it took him so long to get it together with Janine? It certainly wasn't anything _she_ did… or didn't do, I should say."

"I expect," said Kylie, "you used to put them off by making stupid childish jokes."

"Why should _that_ put them off?" Peter said defensively.

"It just doesn't help, all right? Especially if you're already a little bit… unsure."

"Well," Peter said sulkily, sounding suddenly about fourteen, "maybe if they hadn't made it _quite_ so obvious to everyone else…"

"You're saying they brought it on themselves?"

"I'm only human, Kylie. You would have done the same, if you'd been there."

"I certainly wouldn't," said Kylie. "Jokes like that aren't _funny_, Peter. And anyway, you can't blame them. If you're in love with somebody, it's just not that easy to hide it."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**January 2014**

Oscar, hoisting up his holdall as it threatened to slip off his shoulder, pushed the front door shut behind him. Moments later Jessica appeared at the top of the stairs, looking faintly dishevelled, but Oscar didn't think anything of that. She never looked after her appearance very well.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she demanded, coming downstairs.

"Well _that__'s_ a pretty stupid question. Y'know, I thought you might be happy to see me."

"I am." At last she smiled, and hugged him. "I just wasn't expecting you. Mom and Dad are in LA - I thought I'd have the place to myself all weekend."

"They're in LA?" asked Oscar, beginning to make his way to the living room, where he dumped his holdall on the floor. "Just when I decide to come back here after a tour instead of going straight home - how ironic."

"Oh, yeah, the tour - how was it?"

"We had some pretty great shows," he said, noticing now that she was fiddling with her clothes. "What's with you? Have you got a man up there or something?"

Jessica laughed, and said, "Only Hayden."

"Hayden?" Oscar made his way back out to the hall, just as a toilet flushed somewhere above their heads, and then Hayden emerged from the bathroom. "Oh, hey, you're back here already. How was your break?"

"Pretty good," said Hayden, as he too descended the stairs. "Nice to be home for a bit."

"Good. Look, Hayden, I'm sorry I couldn't be here to see you earlier - I just had so much on, I couldn't…" He tailed off.

Hayden smiled placatingly. "It's ok, Oscar - your family's been looking after me."

"Have they?" He looked dubiously back at his sister. "So how's the study going?"

"Well," said Hayden, "at about the beginning of December I realised I'd been having so much fun I'd hardly done any work, so I played catch-up for a few weeks, and I think I got away with it. At least, no one's threatened to deport me."

Oscar raised his eyebrows. "You're having _that_ much fun, huh?"

Hayden smiled wistfully. "Yeah - I'll be sorry to leave in the summer."

"Well, it's great to see you - I really didn't expect you to be _here_."

"Yeah, well, Dana seems to like it when I pop round - I didn't know she wouldn't be here. Still, Jess was generous enough to let me use the bathroom."

"So listen," said Oscar, "how are you all? I called just before Christmas, and your mom told me you - "

Jessica stopped listening, and turned on the television. She channel-hopped while Oscar and Hayden stood out in the hallway talking rubbish, and finally settled on a movie she rather enjoyed.

"Ooh, _The Hole_!" she said, making herself comfortable on the sofa.

"I never actually got around to watching that," said Hayden, making his way into the living room. "I thought maybe it would irritate me."

"Oh, I don't know," said Jessica. "Some of these actors really are English."

"Well." Hayden went to join her on the sofa. "We shall see."

Oscar, with plenty of better things to do but feeling too tired to do any of them, went to join his brother and sister. Throughout the film, Hayden kept making remarks like, "Laurence Fox is English, but they give him such _stupid _lines it sounds like he's putting it on," and, "It's not Mart'n - it's Mar-tin." Oscar couldn't help smirking at his response to one of Laurence Fox's lines: _"What am I meant to do with the old man?"_

"The old man?" echoed Hayden, incredulously.

"That's what you English people call your penises," Jessica deadpanned.

"No it isn't," said Hayden.

"Sure it is."

"It really isn't."

"Hey," said Oscar, "do you guys mind if I go out for a bit? I should really go catch up with everyone else I've been neglecting."

"Why should I mind?" asked Jessica.

Oscar stood up. "There's no need to be waspish."

"I'm not being waspish."

"I'll see you later."

"Bye, Oscar," said Hayden.

"Bring us back a pizza or something for dinner," added Jessica.

"Hey," said Hayden, after he'd gone. "Good thing he didn't arrive thirty seconds earlier."

"You have an extraordinary talent for stating the obvious, Hayden."

"What would you have done? Told him you were waxing your legs?"

Jessica frowned at him. "I don't scream when I wax my legs. God, that felt weird - I hugged him with your stuff all over me."

Hayden cocked an eyebrow. "My 'stuff'? It's not like you to be euphemistic."

"I'm not _being_ euphemistic, moron," Jessica said disparagingly. "I meant saliva and sweat, _and_ semen - and I've probably got bits of your skin under my fingernails."

"Yeah," said Hayden, moving his hands to his back and hips. "You probably have."

"Oh, sorry, did I hurt you?" asked Jessica, not sounding sorry at all.

"No, but I'm awfully glad you bite your nails."

"So are you enjoying this movie?"

"Not really," said Hayden. "Just when I think it's not that bad, somebody says something stupid, like, 'Don't be a Muppet, mate.'"

"Right." Jessica switched the television off. "Let's get back upstairs, then."

"Oh yes?" Grinning, Hayden slipped his arms around her shoulders and started nuzzling her ear through strands of her hair. "You want more of the old man?"

Jessica shook with laughter as he pushed her down into the sofa cushions and started trailing kisses over her neck.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-


	2. Chapter 2

_Ghostbusters: _**Without**

Chapter 2

"Hi." Garrett Miller, lounging comfortably on the sofa at the firehouse, looked up from the paperwork he was doing as Roland and Kylie entered. "Where are the grown-ups?"

"They've gone to look at Jessica," said Kylie.

"To _look_ at her?"

"Egon's worried - three-and-a-half days is a long time to be throwing up so much."

"Poor kid," Garrett sympathised. "So anyway, how was the bust?"

"Fine," said Kylie. "We trapped the demon without complications while Peter sat in the car talking to Oscar on his cell phone and getting all excited because Hayden Wallance has found himself a girlfriend."

Garrett's eyes widened. "_Has_ he? Oh, the poor girl."

"What? Why?" asked Kylie. "By all accounts, Hayden knows how to treat people."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be very good to her for as long as he can," Garrett said sagely. "But his heart won't be in it. He's in love with another woman."

Kylie blinked. "Who?"

"Are you _really_ interested, Kylie?"

"Oh… no," she realised, quietly chiding herself for getting so caught up in all of this.

"Who?" asked Roland.

"Well," said Garrett. "Perhaps I'd better not say."

"Oh, for God's sake!" fumed Kylie. "_Why_ is this kid having a girlfriend - this kid whom we've all met exactly _once_, I might add - such a big deal? He's young, he's healthy, his hormones are raging - it's perfectly natural."

"Yeah, well, just not everyone thinks he's boyfriend material," Garrett said furtively.

"Garrett," Kylie said irritably. "What _are_ you talking about?"

"Oh, all right, you've twisted my arm," Garrett smiled crookedly. "He wants Jess."

Roland blinked. "He _wants_ Jess?"

"Oh yes. He _wants_ her. You should have seen the way he was looking at her at that party. And you should have heard the way he talked about Cameron."

Kylie raised her eyebrows. "How did he talk about Cameron? He seemed really nice and polite when I talked to him - he complimented me on my sweet little girls."

"Yeah, he complimented me on Max too," Garrett remembered. "Well, I suppose he wasn't as unpleasant about Cameron as, say for example… as Eddie was when you had that crush on Leonard Bates. Honestly, Ky, you should have heard some of the things he said behind your back."

"Yes, well," said Kylie, frowning slightly. "It's a shame Hayden was only - what, four? - when I wasn't interested in Eduardo - he might have been able to give him some tips on how not to make women hate you. The reason Hayden's been able to get himself a girl is simply that he's a sweet, lovely guy and he doesn't care who knows it."

"Whereas Eddie's a sweet lovely guy who pretends not to be, right?" said Garrett.

"Yes," said Kylie. "Actually, he is. I still don't understand why he does it."

"Oh," Garrett said, "I do love irony."

Kylie threw him a wearied look, and left the room.

"Irony why?" asked Roland.

"Well," said Garrett, "most chicks want nice guys, but Hayden - who according to Kylie doesn't care who knows what a sweet lovely guy he is - has fallen for pretty much the only girl I know who hates all that kind of shit. If he was ever going to get anywhere with Jessica, I think he'd have to have, like, a hidden _in_sensitive side."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**January 2020**

"Interesting," said Hayden, as he stepped over an empty DVD case to enter the apartment.

"Yeah, I know, Rich and Guy are really messy," said Jessica. "I don't think I'm a _terribly_ untidy person myself, but I'm damned if I'm cleaning up after those two."

"So they're your flatmates, are they? Rich and Guy."

"Yes."

"Where are they now?"

"Oh, I don't know. Out. To be honest, we mostly just use this place like a clubhouse and go back to our parents a lot of the time. Unless we want to have sex or something."

Hayden was only taken aback for a moment. Then he said, "What, with each other?"

"No, I've never so much as touched either of them," said Jessica, leading him through to the kitchen. "Dump Guy's laptop on the floor and have a seat. You want some coffee?"

"Yes please. So who do you have sex with, then?"

"What an impertinent question."

"I'm sorry," said Hayden, not sounding sorry at all. "I'm just trying to get you to tell me whether you have a boyfriend at the moment."

Jessica cocked an eyebrow. "Are you now?"

She'd noticed the way his eyes kept flickering over her, probably trying to catch her at an angle that gave some small indication of the shape of the body enveloped in her oversized sweatshirt. One of the things she liked about Hayden was that he possessed sufficient depth of mind and/or imagination to find her sexy in the jeans and sweatshirts she always wore. All that time ago, whenever they were together and the time inevitably came for their clothes to come off, he had always found her naked form ultimately very exciting. It was flattering, really; Jessica knew that her body was far from perfect.

"Yes," said Hayden, in answer to her question. "Have you?"

"Well," said Jessica, "I _have_ been seeing this guy occasionally, but it's just casual."

"What, casual like, you and me casual?"

"Even more casual than that, actually."

"Right," said Hayden. "Good. I'm glad. Well, I'm seething with jealousy actually," - he knew that a "casual" relationship with Jessica still meant plenty of bedroom action - "but I'm glad he's no one serious."

"But you didn't come back here just because you were hoping for a grope, did you?"

Hayden, smiling wistfully, said, "I've been wanting to see you again, Jess, ever since I left. But you know that's not the only reason I'm here - I told you."

"Yeah, yeah, you've got a job interview." Jessica came to join him at the kitchen table, bringing with her two mugs of coffee. "But I don't understand that at all. You're wanting to emigrate now, is that it?"

"I'm seriously considering it," said Hayden. "Just getting out of London wasn't enough - you can't do anything to help young offenders anywhere in England these days because the system's a pile of shit. Honestly, it's been downhill ever since ASBOs came into effect way back in Blair's day."

"ASBOs?"

"Anti-Social Behaviour Order. They were more trouble than they were worth - but anyway, it seemed like a choice between a total career change, which I _really_ don't want, or investigating coming to work in America. Or somewhere. So I did a bit of research, and I found out that there's _plenty_ of work for people like me in New York - I suppose that's pretty obvious, really - which led me to remember that year I had here with you."

"Oh, yeah," said Jessica, smiling at the memory. "That was good."

"Not that I ever forgot it, of course."

"We had a lot of fun, didn't we?"

"I've never had more fun in my life than I had with you," Hayden said earnestly. "You were a terrible influence on me - I became really deceitful. I can remember chatting away to your mum and dad about coursework essays and shit like that, knowing that just hours earlier I'd been ravished by their only daughter. That really isn't like me, you know."

"Honestly," said Jessica, "I don't think Mom and Dad would have minded very much at all if they knew. But imagine if Oscar had found out. That would have been… I don't know, awkward I guess. Still, the sneaking around was half the fun. It was really sexy, wasn't it, acting all normal in front of everybody and then having fantastic sex whenever we got the chance."

"Yes, well… I didn't like lying to him, you know."

"To who - Oscar? You never lied to him. You never looked him in the eye and said, 'Oscar, I am _not_ sleeping with your sister.'"

"No, I never did," Hayden conceded. "That might have made him a bit suspicious. He's not around at the moment, is he?"

Jessica shook her head. "He's in LA, recording or something. He might have been able to come down for a couple of days, though, if you'd told him you were coming - you should have let him know."

"I'm glad he's not here," said Hayden. Then suddenly he was standing up and pulling her to her feet. "Let me stay with you tonight."

"Oh, _what_?"

"Please." He pushed back her hair and started kissing her neck, murmuring, "It was good with me, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," Jessica admitted, liking the vibration of his voice on her skin.

"I remember how you like it."

"Hayden…"

"I've never stopped thinking about you, Jess. Even when I was with another woman I couldn't put you out of my mind."

"Is this really a good idea?"

"It's a fucking fantastic idea," he said breathlessly, which made her smile. She liked him horny and foul-mouthed; it was such a wonderfully sexy contrast to his nice, polite public persona. He moved his kiss to her lips, his hands working their way up inside her sweater. "My God, you're gorgeous. I've just _got _to have you."

Jessica had never really believed she was gorgeous, but Hayden always used to say she was, and she didn't contradict him. His hands were on her breasts now, which she happened to think was a bit of an imposition. But then again, he certainly knew how she liked to be touched.

"Hayden!" she exclaimed, pulling out of the kiss when she felt him unapologetically push his erection against her hip. Laughing, she said, "You bring whole new meaning to the word 'cheek' - do you know that?"

"Oh, c'mon - let me stay," he said, flashing her his best smile. "It's fucking freezing out there - miles colder than London ever gets. And besides, you wouldn't want me lying awake all night worrying about my job interview, would you?"

"Hayden," she said, grudgingly aware that her breathing had become every bit as shallow as his was. He was still stroking her breasts whilst carrying on a conversation, for God's sake. "I don't give a shit _how_ you feel about your job interview."

"Well," said Hayden, through stilted breath, "fair enough, but it isn't as though there's nothing in it for you."

"Mmm, that's very true," said Jessica, throwing back her head to allow him easier access when he went back to kissing her neck. She closed her eyes indulgently as his lips closed over the quickening pulse. He really _did_ remember. "Look, I want you, I do - I'm just wondering _why_. I mean, just to look at you, nobody would think you were irresistible."

He came up for air. "Oh, thanks."

"But." She kissed him, and plunged her hands into the back pockets of his jeans. "You kind of are."

Then she took him to bed, wondering vaguely why he'd bothered saying yes to the coffee, and whether or not he had a hotel room booked somewhere nearby.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Jessica was on the sofa, wearing an old t-shirt and tracksuit trousers that _really_ could have done with a wash, with her head in Dana's lap. She was looking exhausted, and a very unhealthy milky white in colour.

"Oh, Jess, you look _much_ better," Peter beamed encouragingly.

"Mmm, I feel a little better," Jessica said hoarsely.

"You're not green anymore," added Peter.

"Oh, good."

"Jessica," said Egon, following Peter into the living room. "I want to take a look at you. Do you mind if I feel your head?"

"The way I'm feeling right now, Egon, I don't care if you want to feel my cervix," Jessica said dully, sitting up.

"Oh, you _are_ feeling better, aren't you?" remarked Dana, and stood up to make some room for Egon.

"How long since you last brought something up?" asked Egon, pushing back Jessica's hair so that he could feel various parts of her face.

"About an hour. That's got to be a good sign - yesterday I was running to the bathroom every ten or twenty minutes. Hi," she added, as he started looking for her pulse.

Egon smiled slightly. "Hello."

"What's all this for, then?"

"I'm worried about you."

"Are you?"

"Yes," said Egon. "You've never felt _this_ unwell before, have you?"

"Not to my recollection," croaked Jessica.

"He thinks it's something paranormal," added Peter.

"Egon thinks _everything_ is something paranormal."

"Well," said Egon, "it's better to be safe than sorry. I don't know - it looks to me like you've just got an extremely severe stomach bug."

"_I _could have told you that," said Jessica.

"Ah." He was holding a PKE meter in front of her face now. "No readings."

The phone rang, and Dana went to answer it.

"Wouldn't I know if it was something paranormal?" asked Jessica.

"Perhaps not," said Egon. "It isn't always easy to tell, and there's been a slight increase in paranormal activity so I didn't want to take any chances."

"Oh, right," said Jessica. "Dad, did you bring my magazines?"

"Of course I did, Jess."

There was a lull in the conversation, and Dana's voice wafted into the room: "How's he been eating?" Peter's eyes flickered towards the hallway for a moment, and then returned to his luckless daughter.

"Oscar told me he called earlier," he said. "Did you talk to him?"

Jessica shook her head. "I was in no state to talk to anyone. How is he?"

"He sounds tired."

"He _always_ sounds tired."

"He's with the Stiff and his family."

Jessica scowled. "I know. When is he coming home? I don't like being sick anyway, but it's even worse without him here."

"Oscar usually reads to her when she's sick," Peter told Egon.

"That's nice," the latter remarked. "Would you like one of _us_ to read to you, Jess?"

"That's very kind of you, Egon, but it wouldn't be the same. Dad, I don't suppose by some stroke of good luck the Mini-Stiffs are horribly sick as well, are they?"

"I'm afraid not," Peter said apologetically. "Oscar says they're all perfectly healthy and happy, and Hayden's even found himself a girl."

Suddenly Jessica seemed to go rigid. She clutched at her stomach, sat stiffly for a few moments and then ran out of the room, heading for the stairs.

"Oh, Egon, look at that," said Peter, staring after her. "I was right."

"Coincidence," said Egon, looking faintly concerned. "Well, let's not worry unless she's in there for _very_ long. Or indeed, she has to rush back again too soon. Peter, has she been eating?"

"We made her try and eat something this morning, and Dana said she'd give her lunch."

"Good - at least there's something in what she's bringing up."

"How worried should we be?"

"I wouldn't worry too much. It sounds like she's getting better at last, albeit slowly."

"Well," they heard Dana's voice, "look after him, won't you?"

Peter's expression twitched slightly.

"I suppose you're worried about both of them," Egon said sympathetically.

"Of course I am," said Peter. "At least Jess is only in the bathroom. I really hate Oscar being so far away, where I can't look after him. You know, he always used to come to _me_ when he had a problem he didn't feel he could tell Dana - and I don't just mean guy problems, I mean stuff that he was actually _afraid_ to tell her. Dana!" he exclaimed, suddenly whipping round as his ears caught the sound of the telephone receiver clicking into place on the cradle. "Was that Andre?"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Jessica staggered out of the bathroom, managed to take a few steps along the landing and then had to stop and steady herself on the nearest doorframe, which happened to lead to Oscar's bedroom. Most of his belongings were still inside: furniture, posters, CDs, family photographs… and a little orange demon sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"Hey!" squeaked Jessica. She was trying to shout, but met with limited success. "This is my brother's room! Get out of there! What the hell are you doing, anyway?"

Noticing that the demon had something in its clawed little hand, she tottered over to the bed and snatched the item away. It was a photograph. In fact the demon was surrounded by photographs - even sitting on them. They were spread out all over the bed. Jessica looked at the one she had taken from the demon, and her mouth fell open.

"He _kept_ this?" she exclaimed. "That's completely sick and twisted!"

It was a shot of Andre and Dana on their wedding day, obviously professional and just another example of all the things on which Jessica's grandfather had futilely thrown away good money.

"Well," said the demon, "they _did_ give him life. Fools that they were."

"I love my brother, you know," Jessica said sharply.

The demon smiled enigmatically. "I know."

Suddenly they both caught raised voices wafting up the stairs, and reflexively looked up. Jessica swivelled round at the waist to face the direction of the sound.

"Andre's his father!"

"_I'm _his father!"

"Oh," said Jessica, turning back to face the demon and throwing the offending photograph down on the bed. "That one again."

"Yes," the demon said slowly, picking up the wedding picture and examining it with disdain. "These two hardly ever fought, you know. No anger. No love. No passion." It sighed despairingly, and shook its head. "No heat."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**January 2020**

Afterwards she lay cradling his head between her breasts, with his ear close to her slowing heartbeat.

"You're still the best sex I've ever had," murmured Hayden.

"Still?" said Jessica. "That's more flattering to hear than when you were nineteen. Mind you, I don't know how much sex you had in England. You're quite well travelled, aren't you? You probably had some sex abroad as well."

"I didn't, actually," said Hayden. "Well, not unless I went with a girlfriend. I had a few lovers in England, when I still thought I might have a future with them." He paused. "I told you before that I never have meaningless sex."

Jessica sighed despairingly. "Not this again."

He propped himself up on his elbow and looked earnestly into her face. "I still love you."

"Hayden," she said impatiently. "I told you last time - if you want love, you'll have to find somebody else."

"I've tried that. I went home and I tried to find someone I could love as much, but there's no one else - I want _you_."

"Hayden, for God's sake! What do you want me to say? I don't love you and I never will - why won't you believe that?"

"Well," said Hayden, "for one thing you just made love to me."

"That wasn't making love," said Jessica.

"You wanted me, though, didn't you? Why? You said yourself I'm not exactly a prime physical specimen, so why would you want me just for my body?"

"Your body's nice enough, Hayden. Anyway, it's not how you look, it's how you feel."

"Ahh, Jess," he sighed. "How can you touch me like that and not feel anything?"

"Stop."

"What's the problem? Why can't we just… just try it?" A pause. "Is it your family?"

"_What_?"

"Is it Oscar? Are you worried about what he'd think?"

"Get out of my bed."

"Jess, please…"

"Get _out_!" she said, and kicked him. "Go on - piss off. In spite of what you might think, you're only good for one thing, and that's over now so you can just _leave_."

Hayden didn't move, so Jessica gave him a hefty shove and he tumbled to the floor.

"I don't have anywhere to go," he said irritably, as he got to his feet.

"You can sleep on the couch."

"How good of you."

"Go away - I'm trying to sleep."

"I'm not giving up, Jess," he said. "There's something there - I can feel it."

"Oh don't be corny." She rolled over, so as to face away from the naked form looming through the darkness. "How can _you_ feel what _I _think?"

"Well," said Hayden, "for one thing, you always kiss me like you mean it."

Jessica scoffed. "What, like in that tacky Cher song everybody hates?"

"Let me in."

"Cheesy metaphors now, is it?"

"No, I mean literally let me in," said Hayden. "It's fucking freezing out here."

"Maybe you should try putting your clothes on."

"You'll get cold too, you know, without me in there."

"I'll deal with it," muttered Jessica.

She shifted slightly when she felt his weight on the bed, wanting to push him away again, but for some reason she wasn't doing it.

"Come on, Jess, let me in - I just want to touch you."

"Oh, _you__'ve _changed your tune."

He leaned over her, found her mouth and kissed it. "Any way I can have you, Jessica. Forget what I just said - it doesn't matter. Please… please just let me touch you."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Yes, well," said Jessica. "That's what happens when you marry your best friend."

"That's a valuable lesson your mother has taught you," the demon said distractedly. It had begun picking up other photographs, one by one, and looking searchingly at them.

"What are you doing?" asked Jessica.

"Just looking."

"Why? What do you want?"

"Nothing," said the demon.

Jessica looked more closely at the photographs on the bed, and noticed that there was at least one Wallance in all of them. Beginning to feel a bit dizzy, she sat down on the edge of the bed, and picked up a photograph at random. She was in it, aged about seven, on a beach near her old home in Los Angeles. She was with Dana, Andre and his two sons, Hayden and Lars. Now that she saw the picture, Jessica remembered that occasion. Kate Wallance and her daughter and Emilia hadn't come on that visit - they had probably stayed at home. Emilia would only have been about two at the time. Oscar had taken the photograph, Jessica remembered, and she herself had hated every minute of that day.

"Where did you find these?" she asked. "These aren't the ones he puts on display."

The demon looked up, and moved its eyes vaguely around the room. Oscar had a few photographs on display, some depicting himself with friends, and others with family. Most of them showed Jessica at various stages of her life, often with Oscar, sometimes without. Bar Oscar himself, there was not one Wallance in any of the pictures.

"No," the demon agreed. "They're not. I found them in a drawer with some other stuff he'd probably rather you didn't see."

"Really?" asked Jessica. "I'd have thought he would have taken his porn with him."

"You have a dirty mind, Jessica," said the demon, expressionlessly.

"Do I?"

"It isn't porn."

"Oh. What is it, then?"

"Private," said the demon. "The intimate possessions of a soul conceived without passion, born into misery, destined never to find its other half."

"Don't be disgusting," said Jessica, flinching. "Do you want me to throw up again?"

"I don't really care."

"What do you mean, 'destined never to find its other half'? Oscar isn't a half person - none of us are."

"You don't believe in soul mates?"

"Certainly not."

"May I see that?" asked the demon, taking the photograph Jessica was holding. "That looks like fun."

"It does, doesn't it?" Jessica said dryly.

"You would have enjoyed it, if it weren't for one little accident."

Jessica's eyes narrowed. "Are you talking about Oscar again?"

"Certainly. These are nice boys, Jessica. There's no real reason for you not to like them. I can see why their sister might irritate you but, by rights, they should all be like cousins to you. Your mother and their father were once the kind of friends who love each other's children like nieces and nephews."

Jessica frowned down at the demon. "You shouldn't say things like that if you want me to believe you're real. It's your knowing so much about my family that makes me think you're a product of my own mind."

The demon was basically humanoid in shape and able to shrug its shoulders, which it did, saying, "Think as you like. You'll only have hazy memories when you're well again."

"Yeah? When will that be?"

"It's a shame," said the demon, ignoring the question, to which there was no reason to assume it knew the answer. "Your mother and their father would have loved it if you could have been friends. Maybe even…"

"What?" demanded Jessica. "Come on, spit it out."

The demon smiled sweetly at her. "Never mind."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ghostbusters: _**Without**

Chapter 3

**June 2020**

Jessica stood in the hallway and watched the front door close. Peter and Dana had shot off to some friends' dinner party they didn't really want to go to, and just left her there. They sometimes seemed to forget she didn't live there anymore.

She felt an arm slipping around her waist.

"That could have gone a lot worse," said Hayden.

"Mmm." She turned her head, and smiled at him. "I think they're quite pleased, really."

"Dana's delighted. I'm glad about that - I don't want her to think I'd run off back to England and leave you with a small baby, or anything like that."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," said Jessica. "Come to bed."

Hayden cocked an eyebrow. "What, you want to do it here?"

"Why the hell not? You said you'd start screwing me again after I proved that I really did love you by telling everyone - which, by the way, I could have gotten very annoyed about - and now we've told everyone." She grabbed his wrist. "So let's go."

"But we haven't," said Hayden.

"Haven't what?"

"Told everyone."

Jessica, scowling, dropped his wrist and said, "Yes we have. We told my mom and dad, and then you called your parents and you had that hysterical laughing fit because Lars had just that minute told them he was gay - "

Hayden smirked at the hilarity of the memory. He certainly knew how to pick his moments, his mother had said.

"…and your mom presumably told Lars because he was there, and then you called your sister and told _her_. Job done."

"That isn't everyone," said Hayden.

"Well," said Jessica, dropping her gaze, "it's close enough. And it proves I don't just want you for your body, doesn't it?"

"Is that really the point, Jessica?"

"Sure it is. And besides," she said seductively, draping her arms around his neck, "you're not _really_ going to say no to me again, are you?"

The setup couldn't have been more perfect. They were locked in what could only be described as a passionate embrace, in the middle of the hallway, directly in line with the front door, when Oscar walked in. Oscar, whom Hayden and Jessica both knew to be around, and staying with his parents as he always did on these fleeting visits.

Jessica pulled out of the kiss, stared at her brother for all of half a second, and then collapsed her head against Hayden's chest, muttering, "Oh man, that was _really_ stupid."

"Jess," hissed Hayden, sounding faintly amused, watching the unmoving expression of sheer incomprehension on Oscar's face. "What do we do now?"

"Um…" Jessica looked up, chewing her bottom lip, and quickly came to a decision. "I think you'd better go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"All right then." He rather wanted to kiss her goodbye, but thought better of it. "I'll be… at home, I suppose. Bye."

"Yeah, see ya."

He walked the length of the hallway and stopped in front of Oscar, who was blocking his path to the front door.

"Excuse me," said Hayden.

Oscar moved robotically aside, still staring directly ahead of him.

"Thank you," Hayden said, with a polite little smile, and left.

There was an uncomfortably long silence.

"So," Jessica smiled sheepishly. "Guess what."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"You don't hate Hayden all that much, do you?" the demon went on conversationally. "He's ok, isn't he? Compared to the others, I mean."

"Huh," Jessica said dully. "I _thought_ he was."

The demon looked up with an expression of interest. "Until…?"

"Don't you know?"

"I do actually. You mean when he kissed you at that party."

"He waited until I was on my own and then followed me into a deserted room," Jessica said heatedly. "And then he kissed me, knowing _perfectly_ well that I didn't want him to - the guy's a complete creep."

"Well," said the demon, "there at least is something of a real reason for your animosity towards him. It isn't very fair of you hate to him simply because he happens to be the son of the man who abandoned your brother. I wish you'dtry to see that if it wasn't for Os- "

"Oh, look," Jessica said curtly, getting to her feet. "I'm not going to sit here arguing with you - I _really _don't feel up to it. Sounds like Mom and Dad have stopped fighting."

"Or at least lowered their voices."

"Then it's safe to go downstairs."

She turned on her heel and tried to march out of the room, but she found that marching gave her a headache and so had to make do with a slow, unsteady walk. It seemed like an arduous trek to the bottom of the stairs, and when she finally made it she found that Dana had busied herself in the kitchen and Peter was entertaining Egon in the living room. She didn't have the energy to try and take in what was being said, but she could tell from the strained atmosphere that the argument had yet to be resolved.

"Egon, can I borrow you?" asked Jessica, standing in the living room doorway and clutching the doorframe for support.

"I should think so, Jessica," Egon said pleasantly. "What for?"

"I want to talk to you about something that… that might be a symptom of my illness." She paused, then added, "Upstairs."

"Oh, all right then," said Egon, following Jessica out of the room and leaving Peter to wonder what this mysterious symptom could possibly be.

"You look very unsteady," remarked Egon, as he ascended the stairs behind Jessica. "You should lie down."

"Yeah, yeah, I will," Jessica said dismissively. "But I want to show you something first. I… I think there's a demon up here."

Egon didn't seem at all surprised. He simply asked, "What kind of demon?"

"I don't know." She reached the top of the stairs, and stopped for a little rest. "It's about two feet tall and orange."

"Interesting."

"I thought maybe…"

"Yes?" prompted Egon.

"Well." Jessica fidgeted uncomfortably. "I thought maybe I imagined it. I've seen it three times now, and it was always after I'd been chucking up."

"Well, we shall see," said Egon. "Has it spoken to you?"

"Oh yes, it's very talkative."

"What does it say?"

"Honestly," said Jessica, "I can't really remember. I think it talks about my family."

"That's odd," remarked Egon. "Was it trying to persuade you to murder them, or anything like that?"

Jessica blinked. "I… I don't think so."

"Well," said Egon, brandishing his PKE meter, "let's take a look. Where was it?"

"Oscar's room," said Jessica, and led the way. "It was looking at pictures."

"Pictures?"

"Photographs of various people. People he's close to." They entered the room, and Jessica scowled when she noticed that the demon had gone. "And Andre."

"Do you mean the pictures in the frames?"

"No," said Jessica, staring blankly at the now empty and neatly made bed. "Do you see any pictures of Andre in those frames?"

"No."

"The pictures the demon was looking at have gone. So I guess this means I'm crazy."

"Well…"

Jessica turned and saw that Egon was studying his PKE meter. His expression betrayed nothing, but his silence told her what she needed to know.

"Oh, great," she said, "I _am_ crazy."

"Oh, I doubt it," Egon smiled kindly. "I just think you need to sit down. Or even better, _lie _down. Come on," and he led her over to Oscar's bed, steadying her with both his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sure he won't mind you using it."

"My own bed's just in the next room, you know," said Jessica.

"I think you need to lie down immediately. You look like you're about to faint."

"I _am_ feeling better, you know."

"Good," said Egon, pushing her gently onto the bed. "Let us hope you continue to improve. I think the best thing for you to do now would be to get some sleep."

"Ok," said Jessica, who thought that sleep sounded very inviting. "Would you mind bringing me my bucket? It's in my room, next to my bed."

"Of course," said Egon, and went to retrieve the desired item.

Jessica rolled over onto her side, and noticed a small corner of something sticking out from underneath the pillow. She guessed that it was a photograph, and upon pulling it out she found that she was correct.

"Let's hope you don't need it," said Egon, as he came in with her puke bucket.

Jessica smiled weakly. "Thanks."

When Egon had left the room, Jessica ventured to look at the photograph in her hand. It was a fairly recent photograph - not more than two years old - of herself and Hayden Wallance, and at first glance they appeared to have their arms around each other. Feeling nothing but surprise, Jessica blinked a few times, and then saw that they weren't touching in the picture at all; they just appeared to have merged together somewhat because the two sides of the photograph had been folded over the centre, something like a concertina.

"Stupid little asshole demon," muttered Jessica, knowing immediately what she would find when she pulled the picture back into its original shape. Sure enough, there was Oscar, wedged smilingly in between her and Hayden.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**June 2020**

"Oscar, come on, you know I never wanted to fall in love with _anyone_, never mind him, and I tried, I _really_ tried, but I couldn't help it! I mean, _you_ know what he's like - he's smart and fun and easy-going and sweet and kind and honest and genuine, and he's always smiling, and he's got the _biggest_ - "

"Oh, stop!"

She gave him a withering look. "Heart."

"Oh."

"But," she went on, "since you mention it, the sex is good too."

Oscar flinched. "That's more than I wanted to know."

"Oh, this isn't fair!" Jessica wailed suddenly. "You never like _any_ of my boyfriends, and then when I finally get a _good_ one you like him even less!"

"I _like_ Hayden."

"But you don't like me fucking him, though, do you?"

Oscar was shaking his head, still looking rather as though it was a pair of aliens he had walked in on. "I don't get it," he said. "I thought you hated him."

"I did," Jessica said simply. "But that was a long time ago."

He still looked puzzled. She knew her brother wasn't a fan of irony - it always baffled him. He was the one who wanted love and happily ever after and shit like that, which was why he'd never had anything as cheap and meaningless as a fuck buddy. Now he was still single and she, who wanted nothing more than a lot of laughs and the occasional orgasm, had fallen in love with _her_ fuck buddy. Not that Oscar knew _that_, of course.

"He's my brother," said Oscar. There, of course, was another irony altogether.

"He's not _my_ brother," said Jessica.

"No." A pause, then, "How long has it been going on?"

"Oh… well… on and off… I guess about seven years."

Oscar blinked. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"Yeah, well, he was in England for most of it. Altogether it's, like… about one."

"Are you the reason he emigrated?"

Jessica couldn't help smiling slightly. "I really don't know, Oscar. He's never said so."

"Are you _really_ in love with him?"

"Yes."

"And is he really in love with you?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Because," she said, "he's a very compassionate and forgiving person."

"Well," Oscar said vaguely, "I suppose he'd have to be."

"Yeah, well, you don't have to be a dick about it," Jessica said sulkily.

Oscar raised his eyebrows. "Am I being a dick?"

"Well… no, not really, but you obviously _want _to be."

"I'm sorry, Jess, but it's just a bit of a shock when you walk in on your brother and your sister…" He apparently couldn't finish.

Jessica's scowl deepened. "Yeah, it must be - but you're just going to have to get over it, because I've made a decision which, quite frankly, is none of your goddamn business and I'd rather not have you hovering around and _disapproving_, thank you very much."

Determined to have the last word, she barged past him and slammed the front door on her way out. She felt about thirteen again.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hayden had taken a taxi to his apartment block, and climbed exactly three stairs when Jessica caught up to him.

"Hey," she said sharply, to get his attention, when she reached the bottom of the staircase.

"That was quick," remarked Hayden.

"Yeah, I wish I'd known - you could have hung around for five minutes and then we could have shared a cab."

"Are you all right?" he asked, as they started to ascend the stairs together.

"Shouldn't I be?"

"You look upset."

"Do I?" said Jessica. "Well, he doesn't like it. I _knew_ he wouldn't. I can't believe I started seducing you right in the middle of my parents' hallway - that was the stupidest thing I've ever done in my entire life."

"Was it really?" asked Hayden.

"Oh yes. Making out with that vampire who lived in the school basement is now the _second _stupidest thing I've ever done."

"I never heard about that."

They were at the apartment now. Hayden unlocked the door, and they went inside. It felt more like home to Jessica now than anywhere else; a one-bedroom apartment whose rent Hayden could afford was entirely preferable to letting Rich and Guy listen to their lovemaking almost every night. Not that Jessica thought of it as making love back then. She'd even carried on seeing other people occasionally until one night, whilst trying to explain to a particularly dense one that the clitoris was about an inch away from where he thought it was, she realised there was only one man in the world who knew how to satisfy her without any degree of instruction. Looking back now, she thought she probably should have suspected then that there might be a bit more to it than just sex.

"Yeah, well," said Jessica, in response to his remark. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Mmm, I'd noticed," Hayden said wryly. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm not sorry he found out. We couldn't have kept it from him forever."

She collapsed onto the sofa. "Maybe it won't _last_ forever."

Hayden looked at her sharply. "I thought you said you loved me."

"I do. Don't look so worried - I'm just saying, it's impossible to tell."

"Jess, I'm yours for as long as you want me," said Hayden. "And I don't care what Oscar thinks. I loved you for _such_ a long time, and it's because of him that I had to wait years just for you not to hate me."

"You can't blame him for the way I felt about you."

"I can. Of course it wasn't intentional. He always wanted you to get on with us - I know that - but the only reason you felt the way you did about us was because of him."

"Can't you use his name?" Jessica asked irritably.

Hayden's expression softened. "I'm sorry." He sat down next to her, and took her hand. "You really care what he thinks, don't you?"

"So it would seem." She furrowed her brow, looking completely baffled. "I never cared what Oscar thought about any of my other boyfriends - why is it so different with you?"

"I don't know," said Hayden. "Maybe because it's serious this time."

"I don't think he believes you really love me."

"_What_? What does he think I'm doing with you, then?"

Jessica shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he thinks it's your revenge."

"For what?"

"For the way I used to treat you."

"I wouldn't do that," Hayden said vehemently.

"I know," said Jessica. "I'm sure he doesn't think that at all."

"Surely he knows I'll treat you right."

"He does, and anyway I reminded him. It's only because of who we are. That hardly seems fair, does it?"

"No," Hayden said tightly. He paused, then added, "I'm sure he'll come round."

"I wish I had the courage to tell him exactly how it's been, but I'd die if he knew the way I've been treating you," Jessica muttered.

"I told you to forget that," Hayden said gently.

It was being treated like a sex toy that finally made him end their relationship in search of something more, only to be told hours later that she was in love with him. Jessica was faintly amazed when he took her back just like that - anyone who treated _her_ that way wouldn't see her for dust. She'd felt bad about it, though a little hurt when he seemed to get hold of the idea that she might change her mind as soon as her orgasm had subsided.

"Why are you always so nice to me?" she asked.

"Because I love you."

"And what about before that? When we were kids."

Hayden shrugged. "I'm a nice guy."

"You're too good," said Jessica. "Babe, will you let me make love to you now? Apart from that little hiccup at Mom and Dad's place, we've hardly touched since I said it."

Hayden smiled, kissed her and said, "Say it again."

Feeling suddenly much better, she returned the smile and said, "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her again. "You know what I _really_ fancy?"

"Me?"

"Yes. And a shower."

"Ooh, nice," said Jessica, rising to her feet. "What is it with you and showers, anyway?"

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-


	4. Chapter 4

_Ghostbusters: _**Without**

Chapter 4

Hayden felt very guilty when he stepped out of the shower. Obsession was a terrifying thing, especially now that he had a girlfriend. It felt like he was cheating on her. He shuddered to think of what Jessica would do to him if she knew. She'd punched him in the mouth and drawn blood when he stole a kiss from her. If she ever found out about his sordid fantasies, he could probably expect a hard kick in the groin at the very least.

Feeling suddenly rather vulnerable, he finished towelling himself dry and pulled on his clothes. For some reason he remembered what Oscar had said to him the night before: "I wasn't really interested in girls at your age." _Lucky you_, Hayden had thought. It was Oscar who had always insisted there need be no shame or guilt attached to masturbation (Andre never talked about it, and Hayden thought it best not to bring it up ever since being severely chided, at the age of two, for playing with himself in the bath). But really, Hayden thought, feeling ok about it must be a hell of a lot easier if you weren't thinking about a specific person at the time. A person who wasn't your girlfriend, and who would be furious if she knew. A person who kept pushing her way into your mind, whether you were masturbating or not, however hard you tried to keep her out. Honestly, Hayden was faintly alarmed by the power his body seemed to have over his mind. Oscar's input told him that it wasn't that way for all thirteen year old boys, but was he the _only_ one?

"You look like a criminal," remarked Andre, as Hayden sauntered into the kitchen.

"It's not generally a good idea to stick out on a council estate in Stepney," he said.

"What do you mean? You're going to Hyde Park."

"I'm picking Sarah up first."

Andre's eyes widened. "What, from _home_?"

"Yes."

"Well, be careful, won't you?"

"I'll keep my head down," said Hayden. "So, aside from looking like a criminal…"

"You look absolutely ravishing, darling," enthused his mother, Kate, as she breezed into the room. "Now, are you sure you don't need something else to eat before we go?"

"Yes, Mum," said Hayden.

"Have you got your tickets?"

"Yes."

"And don't forget the backstage passes - Oscar went to a lot of trouble to get you those."

"Oh, I know - I thanked him profusely," said Hayden.

"So we're just waiting for the taxi, then," Kate surmised.

"Mum!" the voice of her younger son, Lars, called from the living room. "Taxi's here!"

"Thank you, darling! Right then," said Kate, addressing Andre. "Apparently Sarah's dad wants me to hang around until they're with Oscar after the show, but he'll never know if I don't so I'll probably be back in an hour or two."

"Oh - thanks, Mum," grinned Hayden.

"If you get her pregnant," said Kate, "you can tell her father I was with you all along and it happened some other time. Now come on, let's go."

"Bye, Dad," said Hayden.

"Have a good time," Andre answered dryly.

Once they were in the cab and on the move, Kate said brightly, "He'll come around to Sarah, darling. She's a lovely girl."

"Yes, I know," said Hayden.

"_I _like her."

"Oh, good, I'm glad. I think she likes you too. She said she did, anyway."

"That's nice," Kate smiled smugly. "I do my best, you know. I don't want my daughter-in-law hating me, like I did your grandmother."

"Well I'm not planning on marrying her, Mum."

"Oh, you might do, one day. I had these friends at school who got together when they were thirteen, and I found out a few years ago that they got married and they weren't even unhappy, the last I heard."

"Well," said Hayden, "it would really annoy Dad if I married Sarah, wouldn't it?"

Kate laughed. "Yes, it probably would. I wonder who'd pay for the wedding. Her parents don't have an awful lot of money, do they?"

"Well, no, that's why they live on a council estate. But I don't think Sarah's dad would let you guys pay - he's got his pride."

"Maybe we'd pay for half each."

"That sounds like a compromise," said Hayden, wondering why on earth he was having this conversation.

"Just _how_ tacky would the wedding be, do you think?"

"Oh, Mum, I don't know."

"Well, she wears false eyelashes, doesn't she? It would probably be all plastic flowers and fake tan."

Hayden started snickering. "Mum, honestly."

"You can get wedding dresses specially made to look exactly like the one worn by whichever celebrity's wedding was last featured in _Heat_ magazine, can't you?"

"Mum, that's not funny," laughed Hayden. "I thought you didn't mind that she was bit… you know…"

"Chav?" suggested Kate. "Oh darling, I don't - it's just my way of showing affection. I bet they sit and laugh about you watching BBC Four and eating After Eight mints, don't they - even though you actually do neither."

"Oh, probably," said Hayden. "You know, her parents probably think my name really _is_ Aidan."

"Well," said Kate, "I don't suppose that matters. Just make sure you're the one to give the names when you're organising the wedding, or you'll end up being Aidan on the marriage certificate."

Hayden, slightly worried that the taxi driver might be getting offended by all of this, sat there spurting with laughter.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**March 2021**

"…and I don't want bridesmaids and I don't want ushers and I don't want caterers and I don't want hundreds of guests who don't even want to be there _or_ hundreds of guests who think it's wonderful and sit there crying and I don't want _any _dressing up of _any _kind and I don't want stupid flower arrangements and shit like that and I don't want a ring bearer - in fact I don't even want rings - and I _don__'t_ want to get married in a church. Get it?"

Dana hesitated. "I - "

"Mom!"

"Well… what does Hayden think about all of this?"

Jessica, Peter and Dana all looked expectantly at Hayden. He fixed them with a placating smile and said, "I'm easy."

Jessica scoffed. "You can say _that_ again."

"Dana," said Peter. "Hayden will do what the lady wants - that's how weddings work."

Jessica scowled. "No it isn't. That's the whole point - he isn't going to have to put up with all the kind of shit Mom likes because I don't want _any_ of that."

"But if you did," said Hayden, "I'd do it. I'm really not fussed, honestly."

"I was just the same," said Peter. "We all are. The woman _always_ calls the shots."

"Dad!"

"Well I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I don't know any woman who doesn't feel strongly, one way or the other, about weddings."

"Me neither," said Hayden. "And I don't know a man who does."

Jessica just scowled at them both for a few moments. Then she said to Hayden, "So what do _you_ want, then?"

"Me?" said Hayden. "_I _want a church wedding with bridesmaids and ushers and rings and flower arrangements that match the prayer cushions and the stained glass windows and I want a best man and speeches and a horse-drawn carriage and I want _you_ to wear a big white dress that cost your dad two thousand-odd dollars and afterwards I want to carry you over the threshold." (This last idea was extremely unrealistic - Hayden was a good couple of stone lighter than Jessica.)

The scowl deepened. "Piss off." Then, "Oh," as the kettle boiled, and she disappeared into the kitchen.

"City Hall it is, then," Hayden said summarily.

"Hayden," said Dana, with thinly disguised hope in her voice. "_Do_ you want a big wedding?"

"I'm really not bothered, Dana."

"Oh."

"Who proposed?" asked Peter.

"I did. But only because I thought of it first. And it wasn't romantic or anything - I just sort of… asked. She's funny about that sort of thing, bless her."

"Mmm," Dana said tightly. "No ring, I noticed."

"Jess wouldn't want a ring. If I'd tried giving one to her she probably would have thrown it at my head, box and all, and told me to find myself a Christmas tree to marry."

"Y'know, the funny thing is," said Peter, "that in spite of knowing Jess as well as I do, I always thought there was an outside chance she might change her mind about having a big wedding."

"You too?" asked Dana.

"_You_ thought there was more than an outside chance, Dana. But anyway," said Peter, looking at Hayden, "she was always so adamant she was never going to get married _at all_. But I always thought she might change her mind, and then I thought, well if she can change her mind about that, she can change her mind about the wedding too."

"Aww, honey, you want her to have a proper wedding too, don't you?" said Dana. "You want to give her away and let her go properly, like you're supposed to. You've been fantasising about walking her down the aisle ever since she was born, haven't you?"

"No, Dana, I can't think that far ahead. But it _would_ have been nice," he admitted, "if it was what she wanted."

"Mmm," Dana said wistfully.

"Well, honey, look," said Peter, "there's always…"

"What, Oscar?" She wrinkled her nose, and said, "That doesn't count, he isn't my daughter, it's not the same. And anyway, he seems to have trouble keeping his women long enough to marry them."

Dana paused for a few moments, and then started up again with, "Oh, it's _such_ a shame she's not doing it properly! She'll regret it one day - you mark my words."

"Yeah, sure," said Jessica, suddenly appearing in the doorway, holding two steaming mugs precariously in each hand. "I'll be like one of those stupid women in those stupid magazines, who find out their husband's having an affair or something, and I'll realise _all_ the problems we have are because we never had a big wedding, so then we'll have one even though we've been married for like twenty years and everything will be fine."

"Well it sounds silly when you put it like _that_," retorted Dana.

"I'm not going to have an affair," said Hayden.

"I don't like being discussed while I'm making coffee," Jessica said tartly, as she distributed the mugs between them.

"Thanks, babe," said Hayden, taking his. "Actually, Jess, there is _one_ thing I'd like. Can I bring my family?"

Jessica sat down on the sofa, beside her father. "What, all of them?"

"I was thinking just the parents and siblings."

"Oh, all right," she said grudgingly, "if you must."

Hayden smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you."

"What about boyfriends?" asked Jessica.

The smile drooped. "No way."

"Thank God for that. You can say I refused to let them come, if you like."

"That's very good of you, sweetheart," said Hayden, "but they'd see right through it."

"I thought you said your brother's guy wasn't so bad," Peter chipped in.

"Oh, I rather liked Lars' boyfriend when I met him," said Hayden. "But I can't invite him and not Em's bloke - that would be asking for trouble."

"Maybe you should have one of those after-parties for them," said Peter, jokingly.

"What, you mean one of those finger food things after your wedding that you invite your second-rate friends to?" Hayden pulled a face. "I _hate_ those - they're so insulting. I get invited to those all the time."

Peter cocked an eyebrow. "Do you really?"

"Yes, constantly."

"You should hear him collecting the mail in the mornings," added Jessica. "Almost every time: 'Oh God, not another one!'"

Hayden and Jessica both laughed heartily, and Peter chuckled as well. Dana seemed to find the joke rather baffling.

"Well," said Hayden, "I've been invited to three in my entire life."

"When?" asked Jessica.

"Oh, I don't know. One of them was while I've been living in New York. I didn't bother mentioning it - if they don't like me enough to invite me to their _actual_ wedding, I don't like them enough to fly all the way to England just to go to the knob end of it."

"Fair enough," said Jessica, which seemed to silence things for a few moments.

"So anyway," said Dana, "to sum up: my daughter is getting married in five minutes flat at City Hall in front of… _how_ many witnesses?"

"Seven," said Hayden.

Jessica looked at him. "That seems like an awful lot."

Dana bit her tongue.

"Four parents," said Hayden, "Lars, Em and Oscar. Seven."

"Oh, yeah." Jessica looked down at her hands, clasped together in her lap. "Oscar."

"You'll want him there," said Hayden.

"I _know_ I'll want him there," she snapped.

"So what's the problem?"

"He won't like it."

"Oh, Jess - surely he's used to the idea by now."

"I'm sure he's been hoping I'd dump you like I usually do with my boyfriends," Jessica said fretfully. "What if he won't come?"

"He'll come."

"Oh, how can you possibly know that?" she asked irritably.

"Well," said Hayden, "because one thing Oscar and I have in common is that we both love our sisters, and I'll want to be at Em's wedding even if she marries that…" - he seemed to bite something back - "_awful_ man."

Jessica wrinkled her nose. "_She'll_ want to have a stupid big wedding, won't she?"

"Probably."

"Will I have to go to it?"

"Well, let's cross that bridge when we come to it, shall we?"

"Will you at least wear a nice dress?" asked Dana, suddenly.

"Mom," said Jessica, through gritted teeth. "When have you ever known me to wear a dress without somebody having to hold me still while you got me into it?"

Dana looked sulky. "Well I still think you'll regret it one day."

"Why?" asked Jessica. "_Why_ will I? It's one _stupid_ day of dragging people across the country _and_ the Atlantic, most of whom wouldn't even want to be there, forcing them to watch me gloat over my fantastic wedding that lasts all of eight hours and costs thousands and _thousands_ of dollars that we could have used to put a deposit on a house! And what's the outcome? A piece of paper we can get much faster and cheaper at City Hall!"

"Jess," said Peter, "calm down. You were happy a minute ago."

"I'm _still_ happy," Jessica snapped. "Absolutely ecstatic."

"Well, good," said Hayden. "So am I."

"I still can't quite believe it," said Dana. "I mean… you two. Imagine how thrilled everyone would be if it wasn't for" - oops - "all that history with me and Andre. If we'd just stayed friends, I mean."

"Yes, well," Jessica said dryly. "That'll teach you not to marry your best friend."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-


	5. Chapter 5

_Ghostbusters: _**Without**

Chapter 5

Egon and Janine were chatting over the front desk when Garrett, Roland and Kylie returned with a loaded ghost trap. Fortunately it was something the three of them could handle on their own, Egon still being out when the call came in. Peter didn't appear to have come back - he probably wanted to stay with Jessica.

"Can we take your lack of contact to mean there were no more calls?" asked Kylie.

"What I don't get," Roland said to Garrett, "is how Hayden can be interested in anyone who treats him as badly as Jessica is reputed to do."

"Ignore them," said Kylie. "Were there?"

"No," said Egon. "Dare I say, it seems to be dying down."

"It's classic, Ro - it's a love/hate relationship," said Garrett. "They're the best kind. You know, like Ky and Eddie."

"Shut up, Garrett," said Kylie. Then to Egon she said, "How's Jessica?"

"She looks terrible," replied Egon, "but she says she's feeling better. She really seems to be missing Oscar, which won't help things much."

"It's nearly four o'clock," Roland remarked. "That means it's almost nine o'clock in England - Oscar's concert's probably started."

"It's not Oscar's concert - he's just warming up," said Garrett.

"Oh, don't be pernickety," said Janine. "I hope he's all right."

"He'll be fine," said Roland. "Stage fright's never seemed to worry him."

"Oh, yeah, he loves a crowd," Garrett agreed. "I bet Hayden's gone to the concert with his girlfriend."

Kylie rolled her eyes. "This is just getting silly, Garrett."

"Yeah? Well _I_ think it's got something to do with all these calls we've been getting."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous."

"It's not impossible."

"It's not impossible," Egon cut in, "but it seems very unlikely, Garrett."

"Well, we'll never know," Garrett said placidly. "So let's get this little… elf… _thing_ into the containment unit."

"I'll take it," Egon volunteered, and took the trap from Kylie.

"Y'know," Garrett said quietly to Roland, "the more I think about it, the more I think Jess and Hayden would actually make a really good couple. You know - fire and ice, and all that kind of stuff."

"What, like Egon and Janine?" asked Roland.

Garrett nodded. "Exactly."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"He's probably kissing her right now."

Jessica scowled as she walked into the room. "I am _not_ thinking that."

"But I am," said the demon.

"You." She climbed laboriously onto her bed and lay down. "You are a figment of my imagination."

"Oh? What makes you so sure?"

"Egon's PKE meter didn't pick you up."

"That doesn't mean anything," the demon said airily.

"Yes," Jessica said, through gritted teeth, "it _does_. He told me he was gonna give him a backstage pass, you know."

"What?"

"Oscar's giving Hayden a backstage pass. How sucky is that? He gives _me_ backstage passes. That's like… like elevating Hayden to my level."

"Well," said the demon, "he's as much Oscar's brother as you are his sister."

"Get out of my room."

"But he is, you know, _technically_ speaking."

"Look, this is not about science and shit. It's emotional. It's completely different."

"Ah, my point exactly."

"What?" Jessica furrowed her brow. "Look, I'm really not in the mood for this. I'm really, really sick and my period just started. I'm getting cramps but there's no point me taking any painkillers because I'd just puke them up."

"You and your body don't get along very well, do you?"

"We have our differences."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**June 2023**

"Are you feeling ok?" asked Oscar, taking a bubble-soaked dinner plate from his sister and beginning to wipe it dry. "While we were eating you seemed…"

"What?"

"You seemed not to have much of an appetite."

She shrugged, and thrust another plate into his hands. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Only you didn't put any gravy on your food," Oscar went on. "That isn't like you. Look at all this," he said and, making a quick decision, he leaned across her and picked up the gravy boat. "I thought this wouldn't be enough for both of us, but there's loads left."

So saying, he literally shoved it right under her nose. Jessica didn't just reel back, but actually stepped away from it and turned her head.

"Jess," said Oscar, putting the offending gravy dregs down. "Are you pregnant?"

"Um." There was a very long silence before she finally said, "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well." Jessica shrugged dismissively, as though hoping to end the conversation. "You would have just…"

"What? Thrown you in a hot bath with a bottle of gin?"

She dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry."

"Jess, this is fantastic news," said Oscar, taking her into a hug. "Congratulations."

She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks."

"Oh, wow, you really _are _pregnant, aren't you?" he added, feeling the difference in her size. "How far gone are you?"

"Um…" She turned back to the unwashed crockery, muttering something inaudible.

"What?"

"Twenty-two weeks," Jessica said dully.

"Oh, Jessica!"

"I'm sorry, Oscar. It wasn't anything personal, honestly. You know what I'm like - I only got around to telling Mom and Dad because they happened to drop in one day."

"I've been here for over two hours," said Oscar.

"Yeah, well…"

"I guess this explains the ridiculously oversized sweater. That's why you're at home in the middle of the day, isn't it? You're on maternity leave."

"Yes."

"I wasn't going to say anything, but when I got here I thought you were looking a bit…"

"Fat?"

"No. Well, yes - fat and happy."

"Glowing," Jessica smiled sardonically.

"Yes, glowing, for want of a better word. When's it due?"

"End of October."

"Oh, wow! You must be so excited!"

"Yeah, I'm excited all right," said Jessica. "And terrified."

"Of what?"

"Oh, well, you know - of giving birth, and of what happens after I've _finished_ giving birth, and illness and cot death and… and pretty much everything, really."

"Well," said Oscar, "that's completely normal."

"That's what Hayden keeps saying."

"Does he? So what does he think about all of this, then? Let's hope he can handle the responsibility of a child better than his father can."

"OSCAR!" Jessica elbowed her brother in the stomach, hard enough to hurt. "For Christ's sake, _how_ can you act all hurt that I didn't tell you and then have the face to say something like _that_? Look. The difference between me and Mom is that I'm not stupid and neurotic and co-dependent. If I doubted for even _one minute _that marrying Hayden was absolutely the right thing to do, I never would have done it."

There was silence for a few moments. Then Oscar said, "I'm sorry, Jess."

"I thought you were ok with it now," she said stiffly.

"I am. Really," he added, when she gave him a dubious look. "I just want you to be happy - you know that."

"Well I _am_ happy."

"Good," said Oscar. There was a silence, which he eventually broke with, "Funny how things work out, isn't it? You're married with a baby on the way, and you're not working - all the things you were so adamant you'd never do in a million years."

"All teenagers say that," said Jessica.

"Yeah, but _you_ said it practically from when you could talk right up until the day you actually married him. And Hayden, of all people. I mean if I'd told you, say, sixteen years ago that you'd one day be pregnant with Hayden's child…"

Jessica smiled nostalgically. "You'd have had two black eyes at the very least. Ooh, the baby's kicking!"

Oscar couldn't help laughing. His sister used to be so scornful of pregnant women who'd suddenly exclaim, "Ooh, the baby's kicking!" and make people spread their hands over the bump. Now, she was doing exactly that.

"I remember doing this when Mom was pregnant with you," said Oscar, smiling indulgently as he felt the movement of his unborn niece or nephew. "You kicked _way_ harder than this, though - it's probably a boy. Can they tell what sex it is yet?"

"Who's they?" asked Jessica.

"You know - doctors and stuff."

"They say they can tell, but I don't want to know. If I know then everybody'll pressure me into telling them, and if it's a girl I don't want people buying her stupid pink dresses and stuff and stereotyping her before she's even born. And anyway, I want to be surprised - where's the fun in knowing all along?"

"_I_ think it's a boy," said Oscar.

"Do you really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Just a hunch."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-


	6. Chapter 6

_Ghostbusters: _**Without**

Chapter 6

There was, Hayden really believed, nothing quite like a summer evening concert in Hyde Park. _Any_ concert. One of his favourite childhood memories was of going there to listen to the London Symphony Orchestra. His entire family was able to go for free, Andre being one of the violinists. Honestly, the music didn't even have to be all that good - that was just one little part of it. It was also about the company, the evening breeze on your skin, lying back and watching the last rays of sunlight sink away…

This was no gentle, soothing LSO concert, of course. Hayden was jumping around manically and cheering with the best of them, but honestly, the ambience wasn't all that different. The cool air was still soothing after the stifling heat of the day, and people were still happy. The weather, the music and the fact of there being no school for a few more weeks combined to create an atmosphere of sheer exhilaration. Hyde Park during a summer evening concert, Hayden decided, was his favourite time and place to be.

The train of thought inevitably led to fantasies of taking Jessica there someday, and Hayden was furious with himself. He was _with_ a girlfriend, for crying out loud! A sweet, kind, funny girl who didn't take every opportunity - or indeed _any_ opportunity - to put him down. And where was Jessica? With that boyfriend of hers, probably. Oh, no, wait - she had a stomach bug. He still might be with her, though, at her bedside. Hayden was confronted with an image of Cameron mopping beads of perspiration from Jessica's brow, and was suddenly filled with an odd kind of rage. Honestly, he thought she would have had more originality than to choose someone like Cameron. Perhaps what _really_ sapped Hayden's confidence was that he and Cameron were so unalike; he was young, fair and knew his limits whereas Cameron (dick) was a dark-haired, brown-eyed, cocky sixteen year old. A bit of a cliché, all in all.

Hayden cut a guilty glance at the girl at his side, and then looked back up at the stage. Oscar was such a lovely guy, and he'd been so good to his father's children over the years - but honestly, Hayden couldn't help wondering: how would it be, if not for him? Like this, perhaps: Jessica would have no reason at all not to like the son of her mother's best friend. The two of them might very well have become best friends themselves. Hayden could just see it: crushing hugs at the airport; ice-creams in the park; musical laughter; the odd accidental touch of a hand… and what might it lead to? Stolen moments when they both volunteered to wash up after dinner. Kisses hello. Kisses goodbye. Lengthy, expensive phone calls during which they established that neither of them could wait to see the other. Love. Sex. Oh God yes, sex. Hugs and tears when they told their parents it was forever. A match made in heaven. My son and your daughter, oh how wonderful.

_Christ_, thought Hayden, _I have got to stop thinking like this._

He gazed up at Oscar, trying not to blame him. Oscar was blameless. Innocent. A mere accident of sperm meeting egg (and what an unpleasant thought _that_ was). Andre was to blame. Andre and Dana. They didn't have to ruin their friendship by getting married.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**October 2023**

"Oh my God." Dana stopped in front of the window in the door, which happened to be just on her eye level, and turned a spooked look onto Andre. "It's us!"

"Not quite," said Andre, staring at the touching scene. "We were never that happy."

"Oh come _on_," Peter and Kate said in unison.

With one last loaded look at each other, Dana and Andre each pushed open one of the double doors, and they all filed inside. Jessica, holding a blanketed baby in her arms and looking surprisingly sprightly, looked up and smiled.

Hayden jumped off the hospital bed and threw himself at his parents - their plane had landed only three hours earlier and he hadn't seen them yet. When he pulled out of the hug with Andre, Hayden gave a fleeting look before moving onto his mother - a look that he probably hoped his father would miss, but he read it only too well. It said: _I don__'t understand how you did it. _Andre began to feel uncomfortable. Twenty-odd years of making Hayden understand why, under the circumstances, leaving his child had seemed the only realistic option were suddenly completely undermined.

Dana and Peter headed straight for the baby in their daughter's arms. There was a lot of jostling and noise-making, and then Dana managed to secure first hold.

"Hi there," she crooned, walking the baby slowly round the room without looking where she was going. "Do you know who I am?"

"Of course he doesn't," Jessica said scornfully.

"I'm your grandma."

"How are you feeling, Jess?" asked Peter, perching on the edge of the bed.

"I feel great," said Jessica, leaning over to hug him.

Peter returned the hug whole-heartedly. "Really?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely fine. Look, I'm dressed and everything."

"He's quite big, isn't he?" Dana remarked.

"Nine pounds ten ounces," said Jessica.

"Oof," Dana and Kate said together, both wincing.

"Well done," added Kate, looking suitably impressed.

"Let someone else have a turn, Mom," said Jessica.

Dana was clearly reluctant to let go of the child, but decided to do as she was told. She seemed to gravitate towards Andre, which Peter and Kate both looked faintly unhappy about. As she handed the baby to him she said, "Doesn't he look like Oscar?"

There was silence for a couple of seconds.

"Well," said Hayden, who incidentally was still being hugged by his mother, "lucky him - I wish I looked like Oscar."

"Where _is_ Oscar, anyway?" demanded Jessica. "Hayden said he couldn't get through to him. Did he tell you that? Has anyone else tried to call him? Where is he?"

"_I_ tried, honey," Peter said soothingly. "His cell phone's switched off, but last I heard he was trying to book a last-minute flight."

"He knew my due date," Jessica said sulkily. "He could have come _weeks_ ago."

"Well, _we__'re_ here," said Peter, still sitting on the bed beside Jessica, holding out his arms for the baby as Kate crossed the room with him. "God, I feel so old. Hey, little guy! Aww, Jess, he's too cute! Oh," he added, "you _do_ look like Oscar."

"Dad, don't," Jessica said irritably.

"Sorry, Jess," Peter said distractedly, staring into the pair of baby blue eyes, clearly struck with what his daughter hoped was adoration rather than severe _déjà vu_. Then, as though it had only just occurred to him to ask, "Have you got a name for him yet?"

"Yeah, sure, we'll call him Oscar Two," Jessica said facetiously.

"Oh, don't be so childish, Jessica," said Hayden, sitting down on her other side. "His name's Tom."

This announcement was met with a chorus of "aawww"s, and then Tom had to be passed between his grandparents again so that they could all address him by name. When Andre was having his second turn cradling his grandson, he said, "Can I ask a question?"

"You can ask," said Jessica.

"Are you going to have him circumcised?"

"No way," Hayden said quickly.

"Right," said Andre. "Can I ask why?"

"Well, Dad," said Hayden, "where I come from, we aren't in the habit of having parts of our baby sons removed."

"Yes, well, that's why we didn't get you and Lars done," said Andre. "But this _isn__'t_ where you come from - it's usual to do it here."

"Is that the point, Dad?"

"Oh, I don't know. I just thought maybe Jessica would want it done."

"Well, Andre," Jessica took up the invitation to speak. "In your arms is living proof that uncircumcised men are perfectly healthy and functional, and since Hayden obviously feels strongly about this and I don't, I'm happy to let him have his way this time. He's the one with the penis," she added sagely.

Hayden laughed, and said, "That's why I get to make _all_ the decisions, isn't it, darling?"

Jessica laughed too. "Yes, dear."

"I'm sure _I _wasn't that perky immediately after giving birth," Kate said quietly to Dana.

Dana shook her head. "God, no, me neither."

"So is Oscar circumcised, then?"

"Oscar is circumcised, yes."

"You're talking about Oscar again," Jessica said accusingly. "Why isn't he here? He _said_ he was happy for us."

"Sweetheart," said Dana, "he _is _happy for you, and he's _trying_ to get here."

"Oh, Hayden," said Andre, "we called Lars and Emi as soon as we landed - they're going to fly over together at the weekend."

"Oh, good," said Hayden. "Is Em bringing that awful boyfriend of hers with her?"

"I don't know."

"Oh well." Hayden stood up and, smiling soppily, took his infant son from his father's arms. "I don't suppose it matters very much if she does."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-


	7. Chapter 7

_Ghostbusters: _**Without**

Chapter 7

"But Garrett," said Roland, "aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh, I don't think so," Garrett said breezily.

"What about Oscar?"

"Oscar? Oh, Oscar won't mind."

"_What_?" exclaimed Kylie. "How can you possibly think that?"

"Well, ok, maybe at first," Garrett conceded. "But what you have to remember about Oscar is that he has two great loves: his music, and his family. He loves that girl something fierce, and at the end of the day he'll only want her to be happy."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**October 2023**

For a moment Oscar wondered vaguely if he'd been sent to the wrong room, but then noticed the baby that was lying in what looked very like a tropical fish tank. Feeling oddly overwhelmed, he walked over to the tank and gazed down into it. The baby was awake, apparently quite content and already dressed in extremely gender non-specific clothes at only a day or so of age, which strongly suggested to Oscar that this was indeed his sister's child. He couldn't see anything of anyone he knew in the baby's face - he had always thought that all newborn babies looked more or less the same. Then he spotted the little paper bracelet bearing the legend, _"Thomas Wallance"_. That, Oscar decided, was evidence enough for him - Dana had finally managed to reach him with the news that Jessica had had a little boy, and called him Tom - so he ventured to pick the child up.

"Oh, oh, it's ok," crooned Oscar, when the baby expressed his surprise by letting out a series of small hiccupping noises. "Hi, Tom. Hey there, little guy. Where's Mommy?"

"Mommy's right here," said a voice behind him, and Oscar turned to see Jessica, looking happy and healthy, if a little tired.

"Oh, hi, there you are," said Oscar. "Jess, he's beautiful!"

"Yes, I know." Jessica approached, and raised a finger to stroke her son's cheek. "Did Oscar wake you up, honey? He does things like that."

"He was awake already."

"Was he?"

"I'm not lying to you, Jess."

"Oh," she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "That's weird - I waited until he was asleep before I went and that was only about five minutes ago."

"Shouldn't you have left somebody with him?"

"I thought I could probably risk it for a few minutes. I've been calling Hayden to tell him to come and take us home straight after he finishes work, and I didn't want any doctors or midwives knowing about it."

Oscar, not taking his eyes from Tom's face, raised his eyebrows. "Can you do that?"

"Of course I can - it's a free country, they can't make me stay. I'm perfectly healthy, Tom's perfectly healthy - there's absolutely no reason for them to keep us here."

"So, what, have you been bored?" asked Oscar.

"Bored out of my skull," said Jessica, "and cosseted, and infuriated by all the stupid hospital staff, and this place is so claustrophobic - I'm sorry I came here in the first place. The midwife didn't help me at all - I could have done it by myself in the bathroom."

Oscar looked dubious. "Could you?"

"Sure I could. You just have to put up with the contractions for twelve hours or so, and then your body tells you when you're ready to push so you push - it's not exactly rocket science. And even after you're done giving birth these damn women just won't leave you alone! I'm not allowed to do _anything_! They tell me when to eat and when to sleep and when to go to the bathroom and when to feed _my own baby_! _I__'m_ his mother, _I _know what he needs. They seem to think I'm incapable of looking after him. 'This is how you bathe him, this is how you change him, this is how you feed him - you whip your boob out and stick a nipple in his mouth, which is actually _really_ difficult - why don't I show you?' It's driving me _crazy_! Do you know who these people are? They're psychotic, messed up women who desperately want babies of their own but can't get anybody to impregnate them because they're so goddamn pushy and irritating!"

Oscar blinked. Then he said, "I'm sorry you're having such a bad time."

Jessica immediately calmed down and said, "Yeah, well, I've had a healthy baby - that's the main thing. Isn't he just… wow," she smiled indulgently. "Hayden's smitten, and Mom and Dad wouldn't leave for ages, and I'm beginning to worry that Andre and Kate won't go home again until Emi has a baby - have you seen any of them yet?"

"Um, no, I came straight here from the airport," said Oscar, the suddenness of the question taking him by surprise. "Go on, ask me why I couldn't get here sooner."

"Why couldn't you get here sooner?"

"There was a bomb scare just before my flight took off - I was stuck there for six hours, and then I had to go home because they told me they weren't going to fly anybody to New York until the next morning."

Jessica blinked. "Are you serious? That actually happens?"

"Apparently some joker called the airline and said there was a bomb on a plane, which of course there wasn't."

"Honestly, kids. I'll kill him if I ever get hold of him. Or her."

"I was furious - I tried to get out here as soon as I heard your labour had started, I really did. I've been dying to meet _you_ ever since I figured out your mom was pregnant," he said to Tom. "Oh you're so _cute_! Aren't you little!"

"Ha!" Jessica reacted. "You wanna try giving birth to him - it was like trying to push a melon through the mouth of a Coke can."

"No thank you," Oscar smiled crookedly. "It's an amazing thing you've done, Jess."

"It's not _that_ amazing," said Jessica. "Women do it all the time - they have been for centuries."

"Yeah, well, it's better than anything _I__'ve_ ever done."

"Oscar, you're a successful rock star."

"Yeah, well, so what?" Oscar said vaguely, gazing wistfully down at his nephew's bemused little face. "Would you swap this little guy for a glittering career like mine?"

Jessica furrowed her brow. "Oscar, are you being rueful?"

"Of course not. So whose idea was it to call him Tom?"

"Mine. Hayden only insisted on calling him something fairly ordinary."

"Tom's a great name," said Oscar. "I never met a Tom I didn't like. I suppose…" - he stopped to think for a moment. "He's completely my nephew, isn't he? Genetically, I mean - he isn't just a half-nephew. That's weird - I never thought of that before now. Not that it makes any difference, of course," he added hastily. "You know, emotionally, because you're just as much my sister as if - "

"Oscar, I know."

Oscar shook his head, then handed Tom to his mother and said, "I'm sorry, Jess."

Jessica, subconsciously rocking her baby, raised her eyebrows. "For what?"

"For getting in the way. This might sound egotistical, but I _know_ I caused the jealousy that made you think you hated Hayden when we were kids - "

"I _did_ hate him."

"Right, because of me. And then you were seeing each other in secret for a long time, weren't you? I don't know what went on in those days, but if it wasn't for me… well, you needn't have wasted so much time."

"Oscar," Jessica said sternly. "Believe me, Hayden and I didn't waste any time at all. And besides, you didn't get in the way of anything. Without you in our lives, Hayden and I would have both been completely different people - _and_ if we'd just been the kids of two old friends, our relationship would have always been… I don't know… let's say comfortably warm. So," she surmised, "I'd even go so far as to say that if it wasn't for you, we could have never fallen in love."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

_Without?_

A girl asks her father if she can call her friend in England.

"Sure you can, princess," he says, even though they're flying over to England in a few days, because he likes spending his money on his precious daughter and he knows how much she misses Hayden when they're apart.

Kate answers her call, they exchange a few warm words, and then the phone is handed to Hayden. The girl tells him about her lack of success with the high-heeled "symphony shoes" her mother persuaded her to wear the day before, and comes to the conclusion that she prefers tennis shoes any day. Hayden laughs, and then bemoans the woes of still having to wear braces to school.

"I can't imagine going to a single sex school," the girl says. "Unless it was a boys' school - that could be fun."

"Somebody might notice," says Hayden.

"Yeah, I guess somebody would. But seriously, Hayd, you obviously don't like your school much - you should talk to your mom and dad about transferring."

Hayden allows himself a small sigh. He loves her like a sister, but she has her faults, one of which is her failure to see just how difficult he finds communicating with his parents, or more specifically his father.

"Maybe I will," he says dismissively. "So what do you want to do next week?"

"Um." She thinks. "Isn't there going to be some kind of rock concert going on?"

"Oh, yeah, Hyde Park." He sounds dubious. "I don't really think Dad would approve."

"So what?"

So what indeed? Hayden has never tried anything that his father doesn't approve of. _She_ doesn't mind trying things out - like high heels, for one - but in the end she always makes up her own mind. Maybe it's time he took a leaf out of her book and just did _something_.

"Hayden," she says sternly. "You should stop being afraid just to be yourself."

"I wish I had your courage," he says.

"Look, it's really not difficult, once you stop caring what people think. Tell you what - I'll help you when we come over. We'll start by going to that rock concert."

Hayden smiles. She's a total sweetheart, that girl. "Thanks," he says. "You're a pal."

THE END


End file.
